Guide for laying bricks



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BY an W. A. COLBERT GUIDE FOR LAYING BRICKS \g Q1 m L a EM Wk Nov. 13, 1962 Filed June 10, 1959 United States Patent 3,063,152 GUIDE FOR LAYING BRICKS William A. Colbert, 425 Morrison Ave., Newport News, Va. Filed June 10, 1959, Ser. No. 819,462

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-85) This invention relates to a device for aiding the brick layer in laying every course of brick.

An object of the invention is to provide a device to facilitate brick laying throughout the entire job so that the bricks may be laid plumb and in aperfect line without the time consuming job of the master bricklayer working throughout the job and using a level laying up the corner leads. j

The invention makes it possible to lay out the work on millstock strips secured to a calibrated jig, for instance, with screws for easy slotting and removal for the different brick sizes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a building under construction equipped with a time and labor-saving guide in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2. is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of one of the adjustable braces of the guide.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the line block on, one of the uprights of theguide, together with an adjustment of the guide.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the building under construction showing an inside corner guide.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 6--6 of FIGURE 5 and on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 7--7 of FIGURE 6.

In the accompanying drawings reference is first made to FIGURES 1-4 inclusive. A number of courses of brick 10 are shown in place as they are being laid with the aid of line 12. Guide 14 is used to support the line at outside corner '16 of the building. As shown in the sectional view (FIGURE 2) corner 16 has sheathing 18 thereon, although it is evident that both the corner construction and sheathing may be differently arranged and different materials of construction may be used.

Guide 14 is made of an upright 20 with an angle section, and it is adjustably secured to a plurality of lateral braces 22. The braces are identical and they are to be removed as the work progresses. Typical brace 22 is made of a tube 24 with an angular bracket 26 welded or otherwise secured at the apex thereof to one end of tube 24. A number of nail holes 28 are in the bracket 26 so that it may be nailed by double headed nails 30 directly to the building. Inner tube 32 is slidably disposed in tube 24 and is adjustable in the fashion of a telescope. Setscrew 34 threaded in a tapped part of tube 24 engages the surface of tube 32 to hold the tube 32 and tube 24 in selected adjusted positions. An angular bracket 36 is welded at the apex part thereof to tube 32 and has a bolt 40 welded or otherwise secured to one side thereof. The bolt extends through slot 42 in upright 20 (FIGURE 4) so that the brace 22 is vertically adjustable with reference to the angular upright 20. Graduations 44 may be applied to the upright 20, for instance by using soapstone so that the entire job may be laid out beforehand. Di-fice ferent thicknesses of brick or block may be accounted for in this way.

A conventional line block 46 has line 12 connected thereto, an end of the line can be secured by means of bracket 48 (FIGURE 4) on upright 20. Line 12 crosses behind upright 20 (FIGURE 2) and since the upright is of angle construction the outer faces of the upright are perpendicular to each other so that no difficulty is encountered in directing the line to the guide (not shown) at the other end of the wall that is being constructed. It is evident that a corner, both plumb and straight may be made by using the crossed part of line 12 as a guide for the corner. Furthermore, if guide 14 is erected plumb, each course of brick is easily kept perfectly level during the entire job.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 5-7. Guide 60 is being used to aid in the laying of bricks 62 at an inside corner 64- of the building. Line 66 is used in conjunction with corner slots 70 in an elongate strip 72. Line 74 is used in conjunction with corner slots 76 in an elongate strip 78. The ends of the lines are attached to nails 80 and 82 which are driven in the sheathing 84 of the buildmg.

A plurality of vertically spaced angular members 88 are attached, for instance by nails 90 in nail holes formed in the angular member, directly to the sheathing, wallboard or whatever building construction is used at the corner. The brackets 88 are placed both plumb and level and each has a pair of extension brackets 92 and 94 adjustably carried by it. Typical bracket 92 has a flat inner part 96 provided with a slot 93 through which bolt 100 extends. Wing nut 102 is at the outer end of bolt 100, and the bolt is anchored to one side of bracket 88. Accordingly, extension bracket 92 may be adjusted to any selected position with reference to the bracket 88. A rearwardly opening pocket 104 is formed by a U-shaped extremity of bracket extension 2 and it accommodates strip 72, holding it plumb. Extension bracket 94 is constructed identical to extension bracket 92 and is connected to bracket 83 in a manner identical to the connection of bracket 92 with bracket 88. As the work progresses the lower brackets are continually removed until the entire wall is completed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A guide for laying bricks, comprising in combination a set of vertically spaced angle brackets adapted to be secured to a corner of a building, a plurality of horizontally extensible supports connected with the respective angle brackets and each comprising an outer tube secured at one end thereof to the apex portion of the connected angle bracket, an inner tube slidably telescoped in said outer tube, and a set screw provided on the outer tube and engaging the inner tube whereby to lock the inner tube in a pre-adjusted position relative to the outer tube, and an upright member having the inner tubes of said supports secured thereto at vertically spaced points by vertically adjustable means, said upright member being adapted for carrying a masons line said means comprising an angle member secured to the inner tube of each support, said upright member being in the form of an angle bar and having the angle members of the supports disposed therein, screw-threaded studs provided on said angle members and extending through vertical slots provided in said angle bar, and

3 nuts provided on said studs in engagement with the angle bar.

2. In a guide for laying bricks, the combination of an angle bracket adapted to be secured to an outside corner of a building, a horizontally extensible support comprising an outer tube secured at one end thereof to the apex portion of said angle bracket, an inner tube slidably telescoped in said outer tube, a setscrew provided on the outer tube and engaging the inner tube whereby to lock the inner tube in a pre-adjusted position relative to the outer tube, an angle member horizontally aligned with and facing in the same direction as the angle bracket and having the inner side of its apex secured to the free end of the inner tube for adjustment therewith, an upright member in the form of an angle bar for carrying a masons line, said angle bar having the angle member nested therein, means adjustably securing the angle member to the angle bar at any of a plurality of predetermined points along substantially the entire length 4 thereof, said means comprising vertical slots provided in the angle bar, a screw-threaded stud secured to the angle member and extending through one of said vertical slots and a nut releasably threaded on the free end of said stud.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 969,654 Platt Sept. 6, 1910 1,644,456 Winter Oct. 4, 1927 1,872,860 Winter Aug. 23, 1932 2,666,260 Schneider et a1. Jan. 19, 1954 2,788,579 Mills Apr. 16, 1957 2,832,143 Davis Apr. 29, 1958 2,855,681 Andrews Oct. 14, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 605,923 Great Britain Aug. 3, 1948 312,754 Italy Nov. 24, 1933 

